Microelectronic Fabrication Technology Course VLSI June05 Batch Answers to Assignment #6

(Due by Oct 03, 2005) Q.1. Sidewall slope of contact holes during RIE: Taking advantage of photoresist erosion during reactive ion etching of SiO2, we can vary the slope angle of SiO2 contact holes. The following schematic shows the resist and SiO2 cross-sections before (solid lines) and after (dash lines) reactive ion etching. Given: = 75 VRV = vertical etching rate of resist = 100 nm/min AR = degree of anisotropy of etching rate of resist = 0.5 VOV = vertical etching rate of oxide = 100 nm/min AO = degree of anisotropy of etching rate of oxide = 1.0 (i) Use algebra to prove that the slope of SiO2 after etching is a straight line with constant . (ii) If all etch rates have a variation of 10% from run to run, find the maximum and minimum values of .

resist

Before RIE After RIE when SiO2 is just cleared

oxide silicon

t=0 t = to resist yox oxide silicon Ans: xo x t = t1 (x, y) y

Before RIE Intermediate position at time t1 after start of RIE After RIE when SiO2 is just cleared at to

Oxide etch is completely anisotropic. Resist etch is partly anisotropic. (i) Let yox be thickness of oxide. Let to be time required to clear the SiO2, to = yox / VOv and and xo be amount of PR laterally etched at foot of the resist in time to. Consider a point (x,y) on the oxide profile. The oxide will etch at x when the foot of the photoresist is eroded to a distance x. Let t1 be the time that the foot of resist is eroded to a distance, x, from original position (i.e, x=0), t1 = x / (VRv cot + VRl) Therefore, the vertical thickness, y, of SiO2 etched at the position x is y = VOv (to-t1) = VOv [(yox / VOv ) - x / (VRv cot + VRl)] So, y is linear with x with constant slope tan w.r.t. time with tan = VOv / (VRv cot + VRl). (ii) tan = yox / xo yox = VOv to xo =(VRv cot + VRl) to VRv = 100 nm/min, VRi = VRv x AR = 100 x 0.5 = 50 nm/min So, tan = VOv / (VRv cot + VRl) Maximum , max, will be obtained, when VOv will be 10% higher and VRs will be 10% lower.

tan max = 1.1VOv / [0.9(VRv cot + VRl)] = 1.1 100 / [0.9(100 x cot75 +50)] = 1.59 So, max = tan-1(1.59) = 57.8 Minimum , max, will be obtained, when VOv will be 10% lower and VRs will be 10% higher. tan min = 0.9VOv / [1.1(VRv cot + VRl)] = 0.9 100 / [1.1(100 x cot75 +50)] = 1.065 So, min = tan-1 (1.065) = 46.8

Q.2.

a) In a certain process, it is desired that the pitch of metal lines be equal to or less than 1.0 m (the pitch equals one metal line width plus one spacing between metal lines, measured at top of features). Assume that the metal line width and spacing are equal (that is, 0.5m each). The height of such structures is also 0.5m, and the minimum lithographic dimension possible is 0.25m. What is the minimum degree of anisotropy needed in the etch process in order to produce such a structure? Ans: After anisotropic etching (with minimum degree of anisotropy), the profile will be like follows to obtain the required line width and pitch at top of the metal line:

0.5m

0.5m

0.5m PR

0.5m

metal

metal

0.25m So, here hf = 0.5 m, df = 0.5 m and dm = 1 0.25 = 0.75 m B = df dm = 0.5 0.75 = - 0.25 Degree of anisotropy = Af = 1- /(2 x hf) = 1 0.25/(2 x 0.5) = 0.75 B

b) The cross-section of a Si trench with vertical sidewalls is shown at the right. Assume the etching mask is not attacked by the following etching processes. (i) The structure is first subjected to a completely isotropic wet-etch process. The etching rate is 0.5 m/min and etching time is 1 minute. Sketch proportionally the etched Si cross-section with dashed lines in the same figure. (ii) The structure as fabricated in part (i) is followed by a completely anisotropic plasma -etch process. The etching rate is 1 m/min and etching time is 1 minute. Sketch the etched Si cross-section with dotted lines in the same figure and show dimensions of all changes in the sketch. Ans: 0.5 m Silicon 1 m Etching mask

Etching mask

Etching mask

1m

1.5 m

1m

2.5 m

Dotted line after step (i)

0.5m

Dotted line after step (ii)

Q.3.

a) 500 nm of poly-Si over SiO2 is to be patterned using RIE with an etching rate of 50 nm/min. poly-Si thickness has a variation of 10% poly-Si etching rate has a variation of 5%. poly-Si is running over steps. Over-etch time fraction = 10%. (i) Use worst-case consideration to find the difference between maximum time to clear poly-Si and minimum time to clear poly-Si. (ii) If process requirement allows less than 10 nm of SiO2 being removed during the poly etching. What is the minimum selectivity required for poly-Si : SiO2 ( i.e., vertical poly etching rate / vertical SiO2 etching rate) ? Ans: (i) Maximum poly-Si etch rate = 50 + 5% = 52.5 nm/min Minimum poly-Si etch rate = 50 - 5% = 47.5 nm/min Maximum poly-Si thickness = 500x1.1 = 550 nm Minimum poly-Si thickness = 500x0.9 = 450 nm Over etch time fraction at step = 10% Maximum thickness to be etched at step = 550 x1.1 nm Maximum time to clear poly-Si at the foot of a step = 550x1.1/47.5 = 12.74 min Minimum time to clear poly-Si on flat surface = 450/52.5 = 8.57 min Difference between maximum time to clear poly-Si and minimum time to clear polySi = 12.74 8.57 = 4.17 min (ii) SiO2 will be maximum etched for 4.17 min. Maximum thickness of SiO2 that can be etched = 10 nm Maximum etch rate allowed for SiO2 = 10/4.17 = 2.4 nm/min Minimum selectivity required for poly-Si : SiO2 = 50/2.4 = 20.85 Poly-Si 10% silicon 500 10%

b) To pattern Si substrates using reactive ion etching, one can use the CF4+O2 mixture as the plasma gas. How will the degree of anisotropy vary if one changes the following RIE conditions? (= increase, = decrease, 0 = no change)

Process Parameter

Degree of Anisotrop y (increase) (decrease)

Brief explanation Higher energy will clean up the horizontal surface causing horizontal etch rate to increase. O2 will reduce selectivity and remove CF3 thereby reducing the sidewall protection. This will reduce the degree of anisotropy. Adding H2 to (CF4 + O2) plasma reduces F* radicals through the H+F*=HF reaction. Less chemical reactions and less chemical etching Takes place (less isotropic) This will reduce plasma density thereby reducing the availability of ions for physical etching. Higher chamber pressure will scatter ions and will result in decrease of the number of ions traveling vertically.

Plasma Ion bombardment energy O2 percentage in gas mixture

For a given (CF4+O2) mixture, add H2 Separation between the two electrodes in the parallel plate etcher Chamber Pressure

(increase)

(decrease) (decrease)